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Lung function deterioration is significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We previously reported that CC chemokine ligand 17/thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (CCL17/TARC) could be a predictive factor of lung function decline in patients with COPD. However, the role of CCL17 in the pathogenesis of COPD is unclear. Here we examined the role of CCL17 in lung inflammation using mouse COPD models. Exposure to cigarette smoking induced CCL17 production in bronchial epithelial cells and accumulation of alveolar macrophages in the lungs. Intranasal administration of recombinant CCL17 further enhanced cigarette smoke-induced macrophage accumulation and also aggravated elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema. We confirmed that cigarette smoke (CS) extract as well as hydrogen peroxide upregulated CCL17 in BAES-2B cells. Of note, macrophages of both M1 and M2 surface markers were accumulated by cigarette smoke. Both alveolar macrophage accumulation via exposure to cigarette smoking and emphysematous changes induced by elastase administration were significantly reduced in CCL17-deficient mice. We further demonstrated that CCL17 strongly induced the expression of CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), a chemoattractant for macrophages, in RAW264.7 cells, and its production was inhibited by knockdown of CCR4, the receptor of CCL17. Collectively, the present results demonstrate that CCL17 is produced by lung epithelial cells upon CS exposure. Furthermore, CCL17 is involved in CS-induced accumulation of alveolar macrophages and development of elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema, possibly through CCL17-induced production of CCL2 by macrophages. Our findings may provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of COPD.

Superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) plays pivotal roles in antioxidation via accelerating the conversion of superoxide anion radicals into hydrogen peroxide, thus inhibiting the subsequent radical chain reactions. While Sod1 deficient cells inevitably undergo death in culture conditions, Sod1-knockout (KO) mice show relatively mild phenotypes and live approximately two years. We hypothesized that the presence of abundant levels of ascorbic acid (AsA), which is naturally produced in mice, contributes to the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Sod1-KO mice. To verify this hypothesis, we employed mice with a genetic ablation of aldehyde reductase (Akr1a), an enzyme that is involved in the biosynthesis of AsA, and established double knockout (DKO) mice that lack both Sod1 and Akr1a. Supplementation of AsA (1.5 mg/ml in drinking water) was required for the DKO mice to breed, and, upon terminating the AsA supplementation, they died within approximately two weeks regardless of age or gender. We explored the etiology of the death from pathophysiological standpoints in principal organs of the mice. Marked changes were observed in the lungs in the form of macroscopic damage after the AsA withdrawal. Histological and immunological analyses of the lungs indicated oxidative damage of tissue and activated immune responses. Thus, preferential oxidative injury that occurred in pulmonary tissues appeared to be primary cause of the death in the mice. These collective results suggest that the pivotal function of AsA in coping with ROS in vivo, is largely in pulmonary tissues that are exposed to a hyperoxygenic microenvironment.

Metabolic syndrome results from multiple risk factors that arise from insulin resistance induced by abnormal fat deposition. Chronic inflammation owing to obesity primarily results from the recruitment of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages into the adipose tissue stroma, as the adipocytes within become hypertrophied. During obesity-induced inflammation in adipose tissue, pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced by macrophages and recruit further pro-inflammatory immune cells into the adipose tissue to boost the immune response. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of macrophages in adipose tissue and the relationship between other immune cells, such as CD4+ T cells, natural killer cells, and innate lymphoid cells, and obesity and type 2 diabetes. Finally, we discuss the link between the human pathology and immune response and metabolism and further highlight potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA), an effective therapy for inflammatory disorders, exerts an anti-inflammatory influence by utilizing the biological reaction between blood and cellulose acetate (CA) beads, which are the carriers of the GMA column. Although the biological reaction has an optimum temperature, blood contacts the CA beads below body temperature as GMA is performed in an extracorporeal circulation system. We investigated various soluble factors in blood treated with CA beads at 25°C and 37°C. Here, the optimal temperature for IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) release induced by CA beads was 37°C, and IL-6 production from monocytic cells was inhibited by the addition of plasma prepared from the CA bead-treated blood at 37°C, rather than at 25°C. These results indicated that physiological heating of the apheresis carrier augmented the anti-inflammatory reaction in vitro. Thus, heating during GMA may be a new approach for augmenting clinical efficacy.

In the temperature distribution in a hot-side displacer chamber of a low temperature differential Stirling engine, a relation between the inlet temperature, average temperature and heat exchanger temperature is calculated by CFD and is expressed by the ratio of temperatures. The parameters of the CFD are the inlet velocity; the sizes of the inlet, heat exchanger and displacer; the positions of the inlet, heat exchanger and displacer chamber wall; and the temperatures of the inlet and heat exchanger. The calculation result and the estimated regenerator efficiency produce the temperature difference in the working fluid, which can be utilized for isothermal model analysis. In the Schmidt cycle, only a phase angle and the dimensionless value introduced here dominate the shape of the P-V diagram. The maximum fluctuation of the ensemble averaged working fluid temperatures (MFEAWFTs) is utilized to evaluate a P-V diagram. When the analyses are compared with experimental results, estimated MFEAWFTs are approximately 80% of the experimental results. In comparing the calculation results, a higher engine speed causes a lower average temperature on the hot side of a displacer chamber and the larger indicated power. A wider inlet reduces the difference between inlet temperature and average temperature. The longer stroke of displacer motion makes the indicated work larger to some extent.

IL-12 is a key cytokine for the promotion of CD4+ T cells differentiation to type 1 helper T cells. IL-12 is a heterodimer (IL-12p70) consisting of p40 and p35 subunits, and is mainly secreted from activated antigen-presenting cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we found that activated mouse bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) produced a p40 splice variant form mRNA in addition to the conventional p40 mRNA. This p40 variant mRNA was produced by alternative splicing in exon 5, and possessed a premature stop codon. As a result, the p40 variant protein contained 157 amino acids of the N-terminal part of p40 and an additional 10 novel amino acids. When the p40 variant was expressed in HEK-293T cells, it was not secreted from the cells. To investigate the function of the p40 variant, it was co-expressed with p40 and/or p35. The p40 variant did not affect the secretion of IL-12p40 or IL-12p70, or the function of the secreted p70. In contrast, the secretion of IL-12p80, a homodimeric IL-12 with two p40 subunits, was significantly decreased when the p40 variant was expressed. This new splicing variant p40 may act to fine-tune the function of IL-12p80.

In vertebrates, the initial step in heme biosynthesis is the production of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) by ALA synthase (ALAS). The ALAS1 gene encodes a ubiquitously expressed isozyme. Mice heterozygous null for ALAS1 (A1+/-s) experience mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance (IR) past 20-weeks of age (aged A1+/-s) 1). IGT/IR in aged A1+/-s was remedied by oral administration of ALA for 1-week1). By contrast, mitochondrial dysfunction required 6-weeks of ALA administration before improvements could be observed, indicating the phenotype of IGT/ IR is not due to mitochondrial dysfunction1). We found no remarkable change in expressions and phosphorylation of proteins related to insulin signalling such as Akt and GSK3β in skeletal muscle of aged A1+/-s1). Rather, abnormal ultrastructure of glycogen granules and increased glycogen contents were observed in skeletal muscle of aged A1+/-s unlike of less than 15-weeks-old A1+/-s, and those abnormalities of glycogen were reversed after ALA-treatment for 1-week as well as IGT/IR. The quantification of glycogen contents showed that insulin-induced glycogen synthesis was impaired in skeletal muscle of aged A1+/-s, and the reduced de novo glycogen synthesis was recovered in ALA-administrated aged A1+/-s. Glycogen synthase (GS) activities were constitutively activated even at the low concentration of glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) and not augmented at the high concentration of G6P in extracts from skeletal muscle of aged A1+/-s, suggesting that GS fails to respond to allosteric activation by G6P. While, GS activities were normally regulated in those of ALA-administered aged A1+/-s. Taken together, our data suggest that impaired de novo glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle is relevant to IGT/IR in aged A1+/-s due to constitutively activated GS without allosteric activation by G6P. Ref. 1) Saitoh et al. PLOS ONE in press. Disclosure O. Nakajima: None. S. Saitoh: Research Support; Spouse/Partner; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, SBI Pharmaceuticals Co.,Ltd.. T. Kimura: None. T. Osaki: None. K.P. Vincent: Research Support; Self; Kora Healthcare. K. Takahashi: None. T. Tanaka: None. M. Nakajima: None.

In vertebrates, the initial step in heme biosynthesis is the production of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) by ALA synthase (ALAS). ALA formation is believed to be the rate-limiting step for cellular heme production. Recently, several cohort studies have demonstrated the potential of ALA as a treatment for individuals with prediabetes and type-2 diabetes mellitus. These studies imply that a mechanism exists by which ALA or heme can control glucose metabolism. The ALAS1 gene encodes a ubiquitously expressed isozyme. Mice heterozygous null for ALAS1 (A1+/-s) experience impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance (IR) beyond 20-weeks of age (aged A1+/-s). IGT and IR were remedied in aged A1+/-s by the oral administration of ALA for 1 week. However, the positive effect of ALA proved to be reversible and was lost upon termination of ALA administration. In the skeletal muscle of aged A1+/-s an attenuation of mitochondrial function is observed, coinciding with IGT and IR. Oral administration of ALA for 1-week brought about only a partial improvement in mitochondrial activity however, a 6-week period of ALA treatment was sufficient to remedy mitochondrial function. Studies on differentiated C2C12 myocytes indicate that the impairment of glucose metabolism is a cell autonomous effect and that ALA deficiency ultimately leads to heme depletion. This sequela is evidenced by a reduction of glucose uptake in C2C12 cells following the knockdown of ALAS1 or the inhibition of heme biosynthesis by succinylacetone. Our data provide in vivo proof that ALA deficiency attenuates mitochondrial function, and causes IGT and IR in an age-dependent manner. The data reveals an unexpected metabolic link between heme and glucose that is relevant to the pathogenesis of IGT/IR.

The cyclopoid copepod Oithona dissimilis in Okinawa, Japan, has two size forms; the smaller occurs in upper estuaries and the larger in lower estuaries and coastal lagoons. Morphological difference between the forms is seen in the length/width ratio of the female caudal ramus. Genetically they differ by 1.84–2.21% from nuclear LSU rRNA (the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene) and 20.85–21.34% from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mtCOI), which, in contrast, vary within a form by 0.00–0.18% and 0.00–1.34%, respectively. This genealogical concordance indicates that they are reproductively isolated species. Their habitats suggest speciation associated with different salinity regimes. The subspecies O. dissimilis dissimilis and O. dissimilis oceanica from India are also probably independent species because they are comparable to the two forms from Okinawa. However our specimens were notably different from previous descriptions of the species with respect to some micromorphology, suggesting...

Community structure and diversity patterns of pelagic copepods were investigated for the coastal areas and in the marine lakes of the Palau islands in the West Pacific. We conducted field surveys during 2004–2007 and collected zooplankton samples from eight coastal areas and 16 marine lakes. The marine lakes in the islands of Palau are limnologically classified into two types, meromictic and holomictic lakes. Species diversity indices (Margalef’s species richness d′, Shannon–Wiener index H′, and Simpson’s dominance) were measured at each sampling site. The copepod community structure was analyzed using multivariate analyses, hierarchical cluster analysis, and non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) from the PRIMER package. A total of 36 copepod taxa were identified to the genus or species level from Calanoida, Cyclopoida, Harpacticoida, and Poecilostomatoida. Multivariate analysis based on the Bray–Curtis similarity index revealed that copepod assemblages could be classified into three different groups according to their habitat: (I) meromictic lakes, (II) holomictic lakes with an exceptionally shallow and flat basin (type A holomictic lakes), (III) holomictic lakes with a deep basin (type B holomictic lakes), and all coastal areas. The meromictic lakes were characterized by markedly decreased species diversity (d′ = 0.15, H′ = 0.41) in which only two brackish-water species, Bestiolina similis and Oithona dissimilis, were dominant. Type A holomictic lakes were characterized by relatively low levels of species diversity (d′ = 1.25, H′ = 1.35). In contrast, type B holomictic lakes were characterized by relatively high levels of species diversity, which was comparable to that of coastal areas. This result indicated that zooplankton assemblages in the type B holomictic lakes were closely related to a coastal community. The present study showed that the species diversity of pelagic copepods varies according to the level of isolation and the local environmental conditions for each marine lake.

It has been reported that the physical fitness of adolescents has been decreasing gradually over the past twenty years in Japan. The reasons for this decrement were a decrease in physical activity and an increase in the prevalence of obesity. However, there is no clear evidence on the relationships between physical activity and physical fitness or body composition for adolescents. The purpose of this study was to measure the total energy expenditure (TEE), physical activity level (PAL) and times spent in light, moderate and vigorous physical activity and to ascertain relationships between physical activity and physical fitness, and body composition for adolescents. Twenty four male adolescents (age: 17.3±1.3) volunteered for participation. Subjects assigned as trained adolescents group (n=16) and untrained group (n=8). TEE was measured by doubly labeled water method and times spent in physical activity were assessed by accelerometer method. VO2max was indirectly measured by breath-by-breath method with stepwise incremental cycle ergometer exercise test. Measurement of physical fitness tests was conducted according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. TEE and PAL were significantly higher in trained adolescents (4813±439 kcal/day and 2.64±0.14) than untrained (2859±147 kcal/day and 1.84±0.16), respectively. Times spent in light, moderate and vigorous activities measured from accelerometer were significantly higher in trained adolescents than untrained, while times in sedentary activity were significantly higher in untrained adolescents than trained. PAL and times spent in physical activity (light, moderate, vigorous) were significantly correlated with physical fitness (Vo2max, sit-ups and sitting trunk flexion). Additionally, times spent in moderate related to 20-meter shuttle run. However, PAL and times spent in physical activity were not significantly related to %body fat. These results indicated that daily sport activity results in significant difference of activity energy expenditure between trained and untrained adolescents, and that increase in PAL and times spent in physical activity while engaging in daily sport activity would contribute to improvement of health-related fitness in adolescents.

The positive effects of physical activity on human bone mass have been well documented in many cross-sectional studies comparing athletes with sedentary controls as well as in longitudinal follow-up. By applying peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), which has the advantage of measuring volumetric bone mineral density (BMD) and the ability to distinguish among trabecular and cortical components, it was demonstrated that cortical BMD of the dominant arm was not greater than that of the nondominant arm. Cortical drift toward the periosteal direction and an increase in cortical thickness resulted in an improvement of mechanical characteristics of the playing arm’s midradius. An improvement in the mechanical properties of young adult bone in response to long-term exercise was therefore related to geometric adaptation, but not to an increase in BMD. The manner in which the recruitment and function of bone cells are coordinated differs between the growing and the nongrowing skeleton. In the former, modeling is the dominant mode, and in the latter it is remodeling. In the present study, the side-to-side difference of 92 middle-aged female tennis players who initiated training after bone had matured was analyzed by pQCT. The side-to-side difference detected suggested a paradoxical adaptation of the mature radius to unilateral use during tennis playing, and that tennis playing after bone had matured did not stimulate cortical drift in the periosteal direction, unlike that seen in young subjects. Unexpectedly, the cross-sectional areas (periosteal and endocortical area) of the radius were smaller in the dominant arm than in the nondominant arm in the middle-aged female players. The findings suggest that unilateral use of the arm after the third decade of life suppresses age-related changes in bone geometry. (Bone 30:619 – 623; 2002) © 2002 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

In a previous study using young Japanese men as subjects, Ebine et al. found that accelerometer (AC) represents a promising technique for measuring free-living total energy expenditure (TEE) when compared to activity records (AR) and heart rate monitoring (HR). Thus, the present study was designed to validate the use of an AC and to determine whether or not the previous findings regarding the three alternative field methods (AC, AR, and HR) could be extended to older Japanese men (n = 24; mean +/- SD age 48 +/- 10 y, body mass index 23.1 +/- 2.7 kg/m2 and body fat 18.7 +/- 4.8%). TEE values obtained over a 3 d period by AR, HR, and AC (3dAC), and AC over a 14 d period (14dAC) were simultaneously validated against TEE measured by the doubly labeled water (DLW) method applied within a 14 d period. TEE values obtained by AR, HR, 3dAC, and 14dAC ranged from 1,750 to 3,447 kcal/d, 1,691 to 5,286 kcal/d, 1,716 to 2,765 kcal/d, and 1,700 to 2,855 kcal/d, respectively. Expenditures obtained by HR were similar to those obtained using the DLW method, with a mean difference of 57 +/- 603 kcal/d (2%), but those obtained using AR, 3dAC, and 14dAC differed substantially from the DLW method, with mean differences of -335 +/- 289 kcal/d (12%), -542 +/- 249kcal/d (-19%), and -566 +/- 223kcal/d (-20%), respectively. AR, HR, 3dAC, and 14dAC were significantly correlated with the DLW method, with r values of 0.76 (p < 0.0001), 0.67 (p < 0.001), 0.78 (p < 0.0001), and 0.83 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Intra-individual variation indicated by the coefficient of variation (CV) was significantly higher for HR (15 +/- 11%, p < 0.001) than for AR (7 +/- 4%), 3dAC (7 +/- 5%), and 14dAC (8 +/- 31%). The same findings were obtained using Bland and Altman plots at the population level. Interestingly, 3dAC and 14dAC were significantly correlated with r = 0.97 (p < 0.0001), with a lower mean difference of 24 kcal/d. These results suggest that, same as the previous study, AC is superior to HR in estimating TEE, and seems to be satisfactory for estimation at both group and individual levels, particularly for large-scale studies of older individuals when compared to the DLW method. However, some modifications of the AC method may be needed to compensate for the underestimation of TEE.

To determine the effects of resistance versus aerobic exercise on the mass, strength and turnover of bone. thirty Sprague Dawley rats (4 weeks of age) were assigned to one of three experimental groups: sedentary, running or jumping. In the jumping group, the trunk was kept upright during electrically stimulated jumping exercise for 1 h every other day. The running rats ran at speeds of 24 m/min for 1 h every other day. After 4 weeks, the jumping rats exhibited increases in the mass and strength of the lumbar vertebrae and of the mid-diaphysis of the femur (mid-femur), and increases in the cross-sectional morphology of these bones: the trabecular bone volume per bone surface, the trabecular thickness, the trabecular bone formation rate per bone surface (BFR/BS). In addition, they exhibited reduced trabecular separation and the area of osteoclast surface per bone surface. The running and sedentary rats showed no such changes. With regard to the mid-femur, in both the jumping and running rats the periosteal BFR/BS was increased. However, only the jumping rats showed a reduction in the BFR/BS at the endocortical surface. These results suggest that resistance exercise accelerates cortical drift and increases the bone mass and strength by stimulating bone formation more efficiently than does aerobic exercise.

エネルギー所要量は栄養所要量の基礎とされている。幼児期から高齢期まで生涯にわたり健康で活力のある生活を送るには, どれだけ食べればよいかを考えることに加えて適切な運動を生活に取り入れることが重要である。一方, 激しいトレーニングを行うスポーツ選手では, 不適切なエネルギー摂取は競技成績の低下につながりやすい。このような点から, 我が国に限らず世界各国で1日のエネルギー消費量の適正な測定法に関心が集まっている。二重標識水 (Doubly Labeled Water; DLW) 法は, エネルギー消費量測定法の比較的新しい方法であり, 実験室内でも実験室外でも幅広く使用できる。日常生活状態のエネルギー消費量を測定できるゴールドスタンダードであり, 得られた値はより実際に近い状況でのエネルギー消費量の基準となると考えられている。しかし, 使用する安定同位体の酸素-18 (18O) の価格及び分析機器が高額なので, 多数の被験者を用いる実験や疫学的調査あるいは教育プログラムへの応用には制限がある。ここでは, この原理と実際の測定について解説し, 加えて健康づくりの運動やスポーツへの応用についても述べた。

The effects of the menstrual cycle on resting metabolic rate (RMR) and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) were studied in nine healthy young women aged 18-19 years. All subjects were eumenorrheic, with regular menstrual cycles ranging from 28 to 32 days. RMR and DIT were measured in the mid follicular phase and in the mid luteal phase. On the experimental days, subjects fasted overnight; then the RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry. For the measurement of DIT, subjects were fed a meal containing a uniform amount of energy (2.53MJ) eaten within 15 min, and then indirect calorimetry was performed during rest for 180min. The RMR was significantly higher in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase (67.0 vs. 62.5J/kg/min, p

We have recently reported that rates of muscle glycogen repletion during the early period of recovery were increased by carbohydrate (CHO) loading in rats previously fed a high fat diet. However, the reason for this remained unanswered. The purpose of this study was to examine whether an increase of glycogen utilization due to an elevated pre-exercise glycogen store would enhance rates of glycogen repletion in muscle. Despite an equal degree of glycogen depletion, the rates of glycogen repletion of soleus, red and white gastrocnemius muscles by postexercise administration of glucose (3.0 g · kg−1 body mass) and citrate (0.5 g · kg−1 body mass) were faster in the CHO loaded (3 days) rats than in the nonloaded rats, as a result of elevated pre-exercise glycogen content and consequently the greater glycogen utilization. The higher rate of muscle glycogen repletion may in part be explained by increased postexercise glycogen synthase activity.

Hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed forced-convection heat transfer in cylindrical packed beds with constant wall heat fluxes is theoretically examined on the basis of our previous two-dimensional, distributed parameter model taking into account the effects of non-Darcy, variable porosity and radial thermal dispersion. Several system parameters including the Prandtl number, Pr, the ratio of the thermal conductivity of solid to that of fluid, κ, the bed radius to particle diameter ratio, Γ, and the particle Reynolds number, Rep, are varied. The adequacies of some approximations to the governing equations are also examined in detail. It is found that the effects of the aforementioned system parameters on the relationship between the Nusselt number and RepPr are the same as those observed for packed beds with constant wall temperatures, but values of the Nusselt number are generally greater than those obtained under the boundary condition of constant wall temperature, as long as values of Γ, κ and RepPr are kept constant.

The effect of a high-carbohydrate (C) diet intake on muscle glycogen repletion during the early period of recovery from exercise was studied in rats previously fed a high-fat (F) diet. In experiment 1, 3 week-old male and in experiment 2, 3 week-old female rats were used. Rats were fed either the F or the C diet for 2-10 weeks ad libitum and then were meal-fed regularly twice a day for 25 days in experiment 1, or for 5 weeks in experiment 2. During the period of regular feeding, half of the rats in both dietary groups continued to eat as before (F-F and C-C) but the other half of the rats were switched to the counterpart diets (F-C and C-F) in experiment 1. In experiment 2, half of the F-F group were switched to the C diet (F-C) for 3, 7, and 14 days after the period of regular feeding. Pre-exercise glycogen content in soleus, red gastrocnemius, and heart muscles and liver was higher in rats fed the C diet (C-C and F-C) than in rats fed the F diet (F-F and C-F) in experiment 1. Glycogen repletion in red muscle 2 h after the ingestion of a glucose and citrate (3.0 and 0.5 g, respectively, per kg body mass) drink was also higher in the former than in the latter. There was a positive relationship in skeletal muscles between pre-exercise glycogen content and the rate of glycogen repletion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

To evaluate lipid peroxide metabolism in neonatal rats during suckling, we studied developmental changes in whole body lipid peroxidation by measurement of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) determined as malondialdehyde. Whole body TBARS contents were very low immediately after birth but increased sharply at 3-9 days, peaked at 9-15 days, and then remained unchanged until 21 days. The feeding of a skimmed milk diet to neonates between 17 and 20 days old sharply decreased their whole body TBARS contents at 20 days as compared with those at 16 days, however, this was not observed by the feeding of an artificial milk diet containing 3g of soybean oil/100g diet. In vitro ethane production by liver and brain homogenates and in vivo breath ethane levels in expired air were higher at 20 or 21 days than at 10 days after birth. These results suggest that lipid peroxide formation in neonatal rats increases shortly after birth and that its degradation and/or excretion may increase during the latter period of suckling.

Whether or not a high intake of carbohydrate increases postprandial energy expenditure during exercise was studied in rats. The rats were meal-fed regularly twice a day (0800–0900 hours and 1800–1900 hours) on either a high carbohydrate (CHO) (carbohydrate/fat/protein = 70/5/25, % of energy) or high fat (FAT) (35/40/25) diet for 12 days. On the final day of the experiment, all of the rats in each dietary group were fed an evening meal containing equal amounts of energy (420 kJ · kg−1 body mass). After the meal, they were divided into three subgroups: pre-exercise control (PC), exercise (EX), and resting control (RC). The PC-CHO and PC-FAT groups were sacrificed at 2030 hours. The EX-CHO and EX-FAT groups were given a period of 3-h swimming, and then sacrificed at 2330 hours. The RC-CHO and RC-FAT groups rested after the meal and were sacrificed at 2330 hours. Total energy expenditure during the period 1.5 h from the commencement of exercise was higher in EX-CHO than in EX-FAT. The respiratory exchange ratio was also higher in EX-CHO than in EX-FAT, suggesting enhanced carbohydrate oxidation in the former. Compared with both PC-FAT and RC-FAT, the liver glycogen content of EX-FAT rats was significantly decreased by exercise. On the other hand, the liver glycogen content of both EX-CHO and RC-CHO was higher than that of PC-CHO rats. The glycogen content of soleus muscle of EX-FAT was slightly decreased during exercise, however, that of EX-CHO increased significantly. Thus postprandial energy expenditure during exercise was higher in the rats fed the CHO diet than in those fed the FAT diet, which could have been related to the increase of both liver and muscle glycogen storage during exercise in the former.

Whether or not the feeding of air-oxidized oil to rat dams during the period of gestation or lactation affects the lipid peroxide contents in their offspring was studied. Rat dams were given a diet containing 4g soybean oil or air-oxidized soybean oil/100g diet during gestation. Whole body lipid peroxides, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) determined as malondialdehyde, in newborn pups from dams fed the air-oxidized oil diet were not different from those from dams fed the unoxidized oil diet. When dams were given the oxidized oil diet during lactation, whole body TBARS contents in suckling pups increased sharply in the 10-day-old neonate and decreased until 21 days old. However, these trends were not affected by the amounts of air-oxidized soybean oil nor the unoxidized oil diet. These findings indicate that a maternal diet containing air-oxidized oil during gestation or lactation does not affect the whole body lipid peroxides in neonatal rats.

The surface profile is obtained by projecting grating pattern on the object surface and observing the deformed pattern at the direction different from the projection. Phase-shifting technique is generally used for measuring height distribution at all the picture elements over the object image. In this method, if the slope of the object surface is so steep that the phase change between any adjacent pixels is larger than, the integer fringe orders become ambiguous and the profile cannot be determined. In this paper, a new method for measuring steep slopes is proposed and verified by experiments. In the method, two gratings with different effective pitches P1 and P2 are projected on the object. By subtracting the two calculated heights for the two pitches, the integer fringe orders are obtained. Simulations clarified the effect of intensity quantization on the counting error of fringe order.

The immunocytochemical distribution of vari-ous cytoskeletal proteins neurofilament (NF) 68 kD, 160kD, 200kD, cytokeratin (CK) 7, 8, 13, 19, vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), was investigated in vestibular endorgans and vestibular ganglia of guinea pigs. NF proteins (NF 68kD, 160kD, 200kD) were found in afferent nerve fibers and nerve terminals which may correspond to the nerve chalice. In vestibular ganglia, NF 68kD and l60kD were predominant-ly distributed in larger cells, whereas NF 200 kD was found in almost all ganglion cells, CK 8 and 19 were found in supporting cells, dark cells of vestibular endorgans. No expression of CK 7 and 13 was detected in the vestibular periphery. Vimentin was observed in the hair cells (which were distributed in the central region of the endorgans), supporting cells, most connective tissue cells, and Schwann cells of the vestibular ganglion. Although much GFAP was seen in glial cells, no immunoreactivity for GFAP was found in the vestibular periphery. MAP 2 was distributed in almost all ganglion cell bodies and their proximal axons. These highly differentiated staining patterns indicate that these cytoskeletal proteins can be utilized as specific markers for each cell type. Furthermore, they may play distinct roles in the different cell types as well.In the present study, to determine the effects of ototoxic drugs, we also examined the expression of ctyoskeletal proteins in strepto-mycin-treated guinea pigs.Immunoreactiveties for NF and vimentin (found in the hair cells) decreased after treatment, but the other cytoskeletal proteins were not affected. These results suggest that neuronal components are the primary site of damage in streptomycin-treated animals.

The effect of exercise on the activity of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex in liver and muscle was studied in rats fed a high-fat (FAT) or a high-carbohydrate (CHO) diet. Both diet groups of rats were offered isoenergetic diets by a meal-feeding method and were trained by treadmill running. On the final day of the experiment, half of the rats in each diet group were exercised by 2 h of running just before they were killed. The activity state of the enzyme complex was elevated maximally by exercise in liver of rats fed the FAT diet but not in liver of rats fed the CHO diet, suggesting that catabolism of branched-chain amino acids in rat liver during exercise was enhanced by the FAT diet. The activity state of the enzyme complex in muscle was enhanced by exercise in both groups of rats, but a significant difference was not observed between the groups. The concentration of branched-chain amino acids was elevated in liver and muscle by exercise in both groups of rats, but the elevated levels in liver were lower in rats fed the FAT diet than in those fed the CHO diet. Serum branched-chain amino acid concentrations were significantly lower in rested rats fed the FAT diet than in those fed the CHO diet, and the leucine and isoleucine concentrations in the former were elevated by exercise, but the serum concentrations in the latter were not significantly affected by exercise. ATP and ADP concentrations in muscle were not significantly affected by either diet or exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This study was designed to examine 1) the role of exercise physical activity (EPA), and then 2) physical fitness and body composition upon variation of the total energy expenditure (TEE) in healthy Japanese men aged 30 to 69 y (n = 40). EPA and TEE were assessed over 14 d using an accelerometer and a doubly labeled water (DLW) method, respectively. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) was measured after 10 h fasting on the morning of the day of DLW dosing. Physical activity-induced energy expenditure (PAEE) was calculated by subtracting BMR and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT = 101 TEE) from TEE. EPA was subdivided into three intensities: low, moderate and high and the accumulated duration (time expressed in minutes) of each of these was calculated. Body composition and physical fitness (VO2max) were determined using an underwater weighing method and a treadmill exercise test, respectively. BMR (mean +/- SD: 1,459 +/- 181 kcal/d) declined significantly with age (r = -0.37. p < 0.05), but PAEE (946 +/- 320 kcal/d) and TEE (2,672 +/- 369 kcal/d) did not. A multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to develop an empirical model that relates energy expenditure measured by the DLW (TEE) to age, height, body mass index, FM, FFM, percentage body fat, VO2max, and accumulated duration spent for low-, moderate-, and high-intensity EPA. The results revealed that FFM and high-intensity EPA were identified as important determinants of TEE and accounted for 51%. We may therefore conclude that 1) high-intensity EPA appears to be relevant in determining TEE, especially among active individuals, and 2) body composition was more important than physical fitness in determining TEE in this population.

Effects of long-term exercise on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone mineral content, bone geometric properties, and the strength indexes of bone were examined in a cross-sectional study of athletes and controls. Tibias of 25 jumpers (13 women), 30 swimmers (15 women), and 25 controls (15 women), aged 18–23 yr, were scanned at midsite by using peripheral quantitative computed tomography. The cortical vBMD of female athletes was lower than that of the controls (2.00 ± 0.05, 1.90 ± 0.08, and 1.92 ± 0.12 g/cm3, respectively, for controls, swimmers, and jumpers). On the other hand, periosteal areas of male jumpers and female athletes were greater than that of controls (460 ± 50, 483 ± 46, and 512 ± 55 mm2, respectively, for male controls, swimmers, and jumpers, and 283 ± 52, 341 ± 73, and 378 ± 75 mm2, respectively, for female controls, swimmers, and jumpers). The endocortical area of female swimmers was greater than that of controls (103 ± 29, 148 ± 52, and 135 ± 54 mm2, respectively, for controls, swimmers, and jumpers). The polar moment of inertia and strength strain index of male jumpers and female athletes were significantly greater than those of controls, except for the difference in strength strain index between male jumpers and controls. We conclude that the improvement of mechanical properties of young adult bone in response to long-term exercise is related to geometric adaptation and not to vBMD.

Background Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused primarily by Anisakis spp. larvae in Asia and in Western countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotype of Anisakis larvae endoscopically removed from Middle Eastern Japanese patients and to determine whether mucosal atrophy affects the risk of penetration in gastric anisakiasis. Methods In this study, 57 larvae collected from 44 patients with anisakiasis (42 gastric and 2 colonic anisakiasis) were analyzed retrospectively. Genotyping was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of ITS regions and by sequencing the mitochondrial small subunit (SSU) region. In the cases of gastric anisakiasis, correlation analyses were conducted between the frequency of larval penetration in normal/atrophic area and the manifestation of clinical symptoms. Results Nearly all larvae were A. simplex seusu stricto (s.s.) (99%), and one larva displayed a hybrid genotype. The A. simplex larvae penetrated normal mucosa more frequently than atrophic area (p = 0.005). Finally, patients with normal mucosa infection were more likely to exhibit clinical symptoms than those with atrophic mucosa infection (odds ratio, 6.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.52–31.8). Conclusions In Japan, A. simplex s.s. is the main etiological agent of human anisakiasis and tends to penetrate normal gastric mucosa. Careful endoscopic examination of normal gastric mucosa, particularly in the greater curvature of the stomach will improve the detection of Anisakis larvae.

To determine the daily energy requirement of elite synchronized swimmers during moderate-intensity training, the average daily energy expenditure measured by the doubly labeled water method, was calculated for nine female Japanese national team synchronized swimmers [four senior; mean (SD) 22.5 (1.0) years old, 52.2 (3.6) kg, and five junior; 17.6 (1.1) years old, 52.8 (2.3) kg]. Their total energy expenditure (TEE) was 11.5 (2.8) MJ x day(-1) [2738 (672) kcal day(-1)]. When compared with estimated energy requirements derived from "Recommended Dietary Allowances for the Japanese", 12.1 (0.6) MJ day(-1) [2897 (139) kcal day(-1)], there was no difference between mean actual and estimated energy requirements. However, there were considerable differences observed on an individual basis. Their energy intake, estimated from 7- day self-reported dietary records, was 8.9 (1.7) MJ day(-1) [2128 (395) kcal x day(-1)], which was significantly lower than their TEE (P0.05). Resting energy expenditure (REE), as determined by indirect calorimetry, was 5.2 (0.3) MJ x day(-1) [1247 (75) kcal x day(-1)]. Their physical activity level (TEE/REE) was 2.18 (0.43). These results demonstrate that the TEE values of elite female synchronized swimmers are not dissimilar to those reported for athletes participating in other sports, especially competitive swimmers during moderate-intensity training.

Bone metabolism is strongly influenced by heredity and environmental factors. To investigate interaction of the effects between vitamin D receptor polymorphism by Fok I and resistance exercise training on bone metabolism, young male subjects with FF genotype (F, n = 10) and Ff or ff genotypes (f, n = 10) followed 1 mo of weight training, and changes in bone metabolism were compared. An additional 14 subjects served as a sedentary control. Biomarkers of bone formation, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and osteocalcin were significantly increased by training in both F and f groups. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, known to upregulate bone formation, was also increased by the training in the f but not in the F group. Bone resorption assessed by cross-linked NH2-terminal teropeptide of type I collagen was significantly suppressed by the training, and the decrease in F was greater and longer lasting than that in f group. In conclusion, stimulation of bone formation and suppression of bone resorption occurred within 1 mo in young men. Despite a significant increase in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the f group but not in the F group, the response of bone metabolism to the training in the F was similar to or greater than that in f group, suggesting a functional difference between vitamin D receptor genotypes f and F.

The effects of the menstrual cycle on excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) were studied in seven healthy young women aged 18 to 20 years. EPOC, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and energy expenditure during exercise (EEDE) in the fasting state were measured in the follicular and luteal phases. On the experimental days, subjects exercised for 60 minutes on a bicycle ergometer at an intensity of 60% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) followed by rest for 6 hours. The EPOC and RMR were significantly higher (P < .05) and the postexercise respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was significantly lower (P < .05) in the luteal phase versus the follicular phase, whereas differences in the EEDE and basal and exercise RER were negligible in both phases. Fat oxidation during the experimental period was significantly greater in the luteal phase (P < .05). These results suggest that exercise in the luteal phase results in greater postexercise energy expenditure and fat utilization than in the follicular phase.

Effects of dietary fats consisting of different fatty acids on sympathetic activity and body fat accumulation were studied in rats. Rats were meal-fed an isoenergetic diet based on either beef tallow or safflower oil for 8 weeks. Carcass fat content was greater (P < .05) in rats fed the beef tallow diet than in rats fed the safflower oil diet. Norepinephrine (NE) turnover rate was significantly lower (P < .05) in interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and pancreas in rats fed the beef tallow diet than in rats fed the safflower oil diet, resulting in a decreased (P < .05) diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and an increased (P < .05) serum insulin concentration in the former. To confirm the effects of dietary fats on sympathetic activity in relation to body fat accumulation, rats were chemically sympathectomized. Sympathectomy abolished the differences in body fat accumulation, DIT, and serum insulin concentration between the two dietary groups. These results suggest that the beef tallow diet promotes body fat accumulation by reducing sympathetic activity as compared with intake of the safflower oil diet.